James Johnston’s debut album RAISED LIKE THAT made history as Australia’s largest debut country album. It has reached #1 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Albums (All Genres) and the #1 on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Country Albums. Johnston has spent over 115 consecutive weeks in the Top 20 of the Country Hot 50 National airplay chart, amassed over 55 million global streams, delivered six #1 airplay hits, received two Golden Guitar awards (from six nominations) and played many festivals.
I first interviewed Johnston towards the end of 2021, with the interview published in January 2022, and the trajectory of his career has been absolutely no surprise. Johnston worked diligently at honing his performance and songwriting skills for years before he recorded and released even one song. Since those first singles he’s also become expert at social media, something we discussed in relation to his single ‘Same Songs’. This latest interview is the fourth time we’ve spoken, and this time it’s about the album, which is a magnum opus from an artist who is only just beginning. In this chat Johnston talks about how being ‘raised like that’ was the theme for not just that first single but the album itself. We also spoke about his current tour.
You can watch our chat on YouTube (below) or listen on the podcast.
jamesjohnston.com | Listen to Raised Like That on Apple Music